Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-29

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The formation of rain-shadow deserts

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The illustration gives information about the formation of rain-shadow deserts. Overall, there are seven steps involved in the formation of rain-shadow desert. The process started from the coast of the sea and ends inland areas in the form of rain-shadow desert. The winds travel thousands of kilometers from the sea to the inland areas then form rain-shadow desert.

It is quite evident from the diagram that the winds approach coast of the sea. These winds pushed upwards. During the upward movement these winds rise and become moist and cool. The moist air moves windward side and forms clouds. While dry air continues over the mountain. The moist air forms clouds which cause rain falls on the mountains.

Furthermore, the dry air continues over the mountain and moves down along the leeward side. At the end this dry air reaches towards the inland areas. Reaching on the Inland areas the dry air is converted into rain-shadow forest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the process, identifying the movement of air from the coast to the inland areas. However, the description is somewhat simplistic and lacks precision regarding the specific stages shown in the diagram. For instance, the mention of 'seven steps' is not clearly delineated in the body paragraphs, and the final sentence incorrectly identifies the result as a 'rain-shadow forest' rather than a 'rain-shadow desert'. While the main trend is captured, the explanation of the meteorological process is slightly inaccurate and under-developed in terms of technical detail, which limits the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into three paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. There is a logical progression from the coast to the inland areas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'It is quite evident' and 'Furthermore' are used, but the internal flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. For example, the transition between the moist air forming clouds and the dry air moving over the mountain could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall cohesion lacks the flexibility required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There is some repetition of terms such as 'moist air', 'dry air', and 'inland areas'. The student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'windward' and 'leeward', which is positive, but there are errors in word choice, such as 'rain falls' instead of 'rainfall' and the incorrect term 'rain-shadow forest' at the end. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and variety needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'The process started from the coast... and ends inland' (tense inconsistency), 'These winds pushed upwards' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'Reaching on the Inland areas' (incorrect preposition and capitalization). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors in basic sentence construction prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage is required.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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